What is ragtime?

Answer 1

Ragtime is an American musical genre enjoying its peak popularity between 1899–1918. It has had several periods of revival in popularity and is still being composed today. Ragtime was the first truly American musical genre, preceding Jazz. It began as dance music in popular music settings years before being published as popular sheet music for piano. Being a modification of the then popular March, it was usually written in 2/4 or 4/4 time (metre), frequently with a predominant left hand pattern of bass notes on odd-numbered beats and chords on even-numbered beats accompanying a syncopated melody in the right hand. A composition in this style is called a "Rag". It is also written in 3/4 time, being called "Ragtime Waltz". Ragtime is not a "time" (metre) in the same sense that "March Time" is 2/4 metre and "Waltz Time" is 3/4 metre but rather it uses an effect that can be applied to music in any metre. Regardless of the metre, the defining characteristic of ragtime music is a specific type of syncopation in which melodic accents fall between metrical beats. This results in a melody that seems to be avoiding some metrical beats of the accompaniment by emphasizing notes that either anticipate or follow the beat. The ultimate (and intended) effect on the listener is actually to accentuate the beat, thereby inducing the listener to move to the music. Scott Joplin, the composer/pianist who was known as the "King of Ragtime" called the effect "weird and intoxicating". He also used the term "swing" in describing how to play ragtime music: "Play slowly until you catch the swing...". (Joplin, School of Ragtime, 1908). Converting a non-ragtime piece of music into ragtime by changing the time values of melody notes is known as "ragging" the piece. Original ragtime pieces usually contain several distinct themes, four being most common.

Etymology: According to the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz the musical form was originally called "ragged time" which later became corrupted to "ragtime"

Answer 2

Ragtime (I am assuming you are referring to music) was a short-lived piano musical style in the late 1880's to perhaps 1900. The piano music was written in 4/4 time and modeled on march tunes popular at the time. The bass was sometimes referred to as the "walking" line. Check Wikpedia.

There was also a movie titles "Ragtime" back in the 1980's

Answer 3

1. A certain kind of music. Wikipedia says this:" Ragtime was the first truly American musical genre, preceding Jazz. It began as dance music in popular music settings years before being published as popular sheet music for piano."

2. That time of the month for you.

Answer 4

Its kinda like Dixieland, or Big Band Swing, You know those guys that have the candy stripe read and white shirts on with hose corn top style hats usually seen in quartets, Ragtime is like that.

Also usually mostly horned instuments, tuba, trumpet, trombone etc.


Also it was a broadway play.

Answer 5

A style of Music. It was also the title of a movie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragtime

Answer 6

A style of music made well known by Scott Joplin

Answer 7

a type of music from the 1920's

Answer 8

in the event that they have have been given those stupid plunky banjos. Or unduly ornamentative and irrelevant clarinette accompaniment, which does no longer seem to compliment the different contraptions in any way. those may be best alerts I reckon.

Answer 9

1920's jazz music

Answer 10

it's a type of swing and jazz music combo